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United States Patent |
5,232,374
|
Iino
|
August 3, 1993
|
Lock eject mechanism for electrical connectors
Abstract
A lock eject mechanism for a pair of electrical connectors includes a first
housing (210) for a first electrical connector (200); a lock eject unit
(220) provided on opposite sides of the first housing; a second housing
(110) for a second electrical connector (100); and a lock eject receiver
(120) provided on opposite sides of the second housing for receiving the
lock eject units for engagement. The lock eject unit includes a pair of
lock eject levers (221) pivoted to opposite sides of the first housing and
each having a lock portion (223) at its front section and a lock operation
portion (222) at its rear section. The lock eject receiver includes a pair
of lock members (121) for engagement with the lock portion of the lock
eject levers to lock a plug-in condition between the first and second
electrical connectors; a pair of guiding members (123) provided in the
vicinity of the lock members for guiding the lock portions of the lock
eject levers to the lock members for engagement when first and second
electrical connectors are plugged in; and a pair of eject members (122)
for exerting ejecting forces upon the lock portions when the lock
operation portions are squeezed to pull the first electrical connector out
of the second electrical connector.
Inventors:
|
Iino; Kouichi (Tokyo, JP)
|
Assignee:
|
Hirose Electric Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)
|
Appl. No.:
|
755809 |
Filed:
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September 6, 1991 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Sep 18, 1990[JP] | 2-97718[U] |
Current U.S. Class: |
439/157; 439/153 |
Intern'l Class: |
H01R 013/62 |
Field of Search: |
439/152-160,372
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4196954 | Apr., 1980 | Collignon et al. | 439/152.
|
4632588 | Dec., 1986 | Fitzpatrick | 439/157.
|
4787858 | Nov., 1988 | Killian, Jr. | 439/372.
|
5017149 | May., 1991 | Hatanaka | 439/157.
|
5057029 | Oct., 1991 | Noorily | 439/157.
|
Primary Examiner: Pirlot; David
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A lock eject mechanism for a pair of electrical connectors, comprising:
a first housing for a first electrical connector;
a lock eject unit provided on opposite sides of said first housing;
a second housing for a second electrical connector;
a lock eject receiver provided on opposite sides of said second housing for
receiving said lock eject unit for engagement,
said lock eject unit having a pair of lock eject levers pivoted to opposite
sides of said first housing, said lock eject levers each having a lock
claw at its front portion and a lock eject knob at its rear portion, and
said lock eject receiver having a pair of lock shoulders for engagement
with said lock claws of said lock eject levers to lock a plug-in condition
between said first and second electrical connectors and a pair of eject
members each having an inwardly sloped surface for exerting, when said
lock eject knobs are squeezed inwardly to turn said front portion of said
lock eject lever outwardly, an ejecting force upon said front portion of
said lock eject lever, thereby ejecting said first electrical connector
from said second electrical connector.
2. A lock eject mechanism for a pair of electrical connectors, comprising:
a first housing for a first electrical connector;
a lock eject unit provided on opposite sides of said first housing;
a second housing for a second electrical connector;
a lock eject receiver provided on opposite sides of said second housing for
receiving said lock eject unit for engagement,
said lock eject unit having a pair of lock eject levers pivoted to opposite
sides of said first housing, said lock eject levers each having a lock
claw at its front portion and a lock eject knob at its rear portion, and
said lock eject receiver having a pair of lock shoulders for engagement
with said lock claws of said lock eject levers to lock a plug-in condition
between said first and second electrical connectors and a pair of eject
members each having an inwardly sloped surface for exerting, when said
lock eject knobs are squeezed to turn said front portion of said lock
eject lever, an ejecting force upon said front portion of said lock eject
lever, thereby ejecting said first electrical connector from said second
electrical connector, wherein said lock eject receiver comprising a pair
of biasing springs with a free end thereof bend more inwardly than the
inwardly sloped surfaces for biasing said front portions of said eject
levers toward said lock shoulders for assuring a lock between said first
and second electrical connector with little or no play.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lock eject mechanisms for electrical
connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese U.M. Patent Application Kokoku No. 58-55580 discloses an
electrical connector which includes a housing mountable on a circuit board
and a pair of lock levers provided on opposite sides of the housing which
not only locks the plug-in condition of a pair of electrical connectors
but also provides a plug-out force for facilitating the plug-out
operation. When a connector with a cable is plugged into a connector
having opened lock levers, the lock levers are closed to lock a plug-in
condition between these connectors. To pull it out of the mating
connector, the lock levers are opened, exerting a plug-out force upon the
connector, bringing it to a half plug-out condition. Then, the connector
is removed from the mating connector completely.
However, in the above connector, it is necessary to open the lock levers of
the mating connector with both hands and then apply a pulling force
thereon so that it is difficult to remove the connector from the mating
connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a lock eject
mechanism for electrical connectors which enables one to readily pull one
connector out of the other connector.
According to the invention there is provided a lock eject mechanism for a
pair of electrical connectors, which includes a first housing for a first
electrical connector; a lock eject unit provided on opposite sides of the
first housing; a second housing for a second electrical connector; and a
lock eject receiver provided on opposite sides of the second housing for
receiving the lock eject units for engagement.
The lock eject unit includes a pair of lock eject levers pivoted to
opposite sides of the first housing, the lock eject levers each having a
lock portion at its front section and a lock operation portion at its rear
section.
The lock eject receiver includes a pair of lock members for engagement with
the lock portion of the lock eject levers to lock a plug-in condition
between the first and second electrical connectors; a pair of guiding
members provided in the vicinity of the lock members for guiding the lock
portions of the lock eject levers to the lock members for engagement when
first and second electrical connectors are plugged in; and a pair of eject
members for exerting ejecting forces upon the lock portions when the lock
operation portions are squeezed to pull the first electrical connector out
of the second electrical connector.
With the above lock eject mechanism, by simply squeezing and pulling the
lock operation portions, it is possible to plug out one connector from the
other.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will
be more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a pair of electrical connectors having a lock
eject mechanism according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the lock eject mechanism;
and
FIGS. 3-6 are partially sectional side views of the lock eject mechanism
useful for explaining how the lock eject mechanism works.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1, a connector assembly consists of a header connector 100 to be
mounted on a circuit board and a socket connector 200 to be plugged in and
out of the header connector 100. The header connector 100 includes a
header housing 110 having a number of contact elements 10 and a pair of
lock eject receivers 120 provided on opposite sides of the header housing
110. The socket connector 200 includes a socket housing 20 which has a
number of contact elements 20 each brought into contact with a
corresponding contact element 10 of the header connector 100. A cable
retainer 211 is attached to the rear end of the socket housing 210 for
holding in place a number of insulated conductors of a cable which are
connected to the contact elements 20. A pair of lock eject mechanisms 220
are affixed to opposite sides of the socket housing 210.
In FIG. 2, a lock eject lever 221 of the lock eject mechanism 220 is
pivoted at 225 to a side of the socket housing 210. The lock eject lever
221 has a pair of lock craws 223 in the front portion and a lock knob 222
in the rear portion. The lock eject receiver 120 has a lock portion with a
pair of shoulders 121 for engagement with the lock claws 223 to lock a
plug-in condition between the header connector 100 and the socket
connector 200. The lock portion 121 has a pair of downwardly and outwardly
sloped surfaces 123 for guiding the lock claws 223 to their shoulders when
the socket connector 200 with its lock eject levers 221 closed is plugged
into the head connector 100. A pair of downwardly and inwardly sloped
surfaces 122 are opposed to and slightly below the outwardly sloped
surfaces 123. (Another inwardly sloped surface 122 is cutaway in the
figure for showing a biasing spring 124.) These inwardly sloped surfaces
122 guide the lock claws 223 of the lock eject levers 221 to the lock
shoulders 121 when the socket connector 200 with the lock eject lever 221
opened is plugged into the header connector 100. These inwardly sloped
surfaces 122 also constitute ejecting portions for exerting ejecting
forces upon the front ends 224 of the lock claws 223 when the lock knobs
222 of the lock eject levers 221 are squeezed to pull the socket connector
200 out of the header connector 100. The biasing spring 124 extends
between the inwardly sloped surfaces 122 to bias the lock claws 223 to the
lock shoulders 121. All of the lock shoulders 121, outwardly sloped
surfaces 123, inwardly sloped surfaces 122, bias spring 124 are molded
integrally with the header housing 110 from a plastic material or the
like.
In FIG. 3, when the socket connector 200 with the lock eject levers 221
closed is plugged into the header connector 100, the front ends 224 of the
lock eject levers 221 abut on the outwardly sloped surfaces 123 of the
lock eject receivers 120. As the socket connector 200 is further inserted
into the header connector 100, the front ends 224 of the lock eject levers
221 slide on the outwardly sloped surfaces 123 so that the lock eject
levers 221 are turned outwardly about the pivots 225 as shown in FIG. 4.
In FIG. 4, the front ends 224 of the lock eject levers 221 slide on the
inwardly sloped surfaces 122 and are biased inwardly by the biasing
springs 124 so that the lock eject levers 221 are turned inwardly about
the pivots 225.
In FIG. 5, when the socket connector 200 is fitted in the header connector
100 completely, the lock claws 223 of the lock ejector levers 221 engage
the lock shoulders 121. This lock condition is held by the biasing force
of the biasing springs 124.
In FIG. 6, when the socket connector 200 with the lock eject levers 221
opened is plugged into the header connector 100, the front ends 224 of the
lock eject levers 221 abut on the inwardly sloped surfaces 122 of the lock
eject receivers 120. As the socket connector 200 is further inserted into
the header connector 100, the front ends 224 of the lock eject levers 221
slide along the inwardly sloped surfaces 122 so that the lock eject levers
221 are turned inwardly about the pivots 225 as shown in FIG. 4.
In FIG. 4, the front ends 224 of the lock eject levers 221 are subjected to
not only the cam effects of the inwardly sloped surfaces 122 but also the
inward bias of the biasing springs 124 so that the lock eject levers 221
are turned further inwardly about the pivots 225. As FIG. 5 shows, when
the socket connector 200 is fitted in the header connector 100 completely,
the lock claws 223 of the lock eject levers 221 engage the lock shoulders
121. This engagement is held by the biasing force of the biasing springs
124.
To pull the socket connector 200 out of the header connector 100, the lock
knobs 222 of the lock eject levers 221 are squeezed to open the lock eject
levers 221. Consequently, the front ends 224 of the lock claws 223 are
moved outwardly against the biasing force of the biasing springs 124 for
abutment upon the inwardly sloped surfaces 122 as shown in FIG. 4. When
the lock knobs 222 are further squeezed, the lock claws 223 are released
from the lock shoulders 121, and the front ends 224 of the lock eject
levers 221 are subjected to the cam effect of the inwardly sloped surfaces
122. The cam effects bring the lock eject levers 221 away from the header
connector 100, exerting forces which tend to pull the socket connector 200
out of the header connector. In other words, when the lock knobs 222 of
the lock eject levers 221 are simply squeezed, ejecting forces
automatically exert upon the socket connector 200 to pulling it out of the
header connector 100 as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, the socket connector 200 is
just pulled out of the header connector 100 completely.
In the above embodiment, the surfaces for exerting ejecting forces are
spaced so away from the pivots of the lock eject levers that small forces
exerting upon the lock knobs produce large ejecting forces. Since the
front ends of the lock claws constitute an ejecting portion the amount of
ejection becomes large. The biasing springs always exert biasing forces
which tend to urge the lock claws against the lock shoulders, thus
preventing accidental release of the lock.
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